FAQ about JIKKO and Japanese knives

Most knives are referred to as hōchō (Japanese: 包丁/庖丁) or the variation -bōchō in compound words (because of rendaku) but can have other names including -kiri (〜切り, lit. "-cutter").

Japanese knives are some of the most sought-after in the world. They have a reputation for being razor-sharp, exceptionally high-quality, and made from extremely durable materials. These knives can be used for a wide range of cutting tasks and will last for years if properly cared for.

To prevent a dull knife and keep it in excellent condition, here are the top things you should never do with a Japanese knife. Using the Wrong Knife for the Job. Twisting the Knife. Cutting Frozen Food. Improper Use of Cleavers. Not Hand Washing and Drying Immediately. Not Regularly Sharpening. More items... • Aug 5, 2024

Japanese blades are typically harder (HRC 60+), ground thinner, and finished at a lower edge angle (≈15°), giving superior push-cut performance; Western knives prioritize toughness with thicker, softer steel and a 20–22° angle.

Sakai Uchihamono was recognized as a “Traditional Craft of Japan” in 1982, certifying the region’s hand-forging heritage and quality standards. (METI traditional-craft listing)

Traditionally, Japanese knives are single-bevel edged — kataba — and this remains the dominant style. These are the knives of the established traditional Japanese cuisine and were originally developed from the Chinese double-beveled knives.

Types of Japanese Kitchen Knives GYUTO (Chef's knife) SANTOKU (Multi-Purpose) NAKIRI. Bird's Beak Paring Knife. USUBA. YANAGIBA. DEBA. CHINESE CLEAVER.

Only knife that you must have if you are living by yourself, is one multipurpose knife. Depending on the size of the kitchen, there probably isn’t too much space to store the knife in the first place, so it is best to choose a knife from one of the multipurpose knives: “Gyuto”, “Santoku”, or “Petty” knife. Choose a knife that best match the size of the food you often cook and cut. If you cut bigger chunks of vegetables or meat, choose a Gyuto knife, while if you are used to cutting small for lunch. Choose a petty knife. If you don’t know what you will be cutting, or might cut different things, choose a Santoku knife that is almighty.

You can keep using the knife until the blade is no longer. Even if you sharpen, household knives can be used for over 20 to 30 years. Some families even pass down their knives, generation after another and keep using the same knife. You need proper maintenance to keep the edge of the blade sharp for a long time. By periodically sharpening the knife when needed, and sometimes taking your knife to a professional knife shop to resharpen the knives when there are defects, you can keep on using the same knife for years to come.

For home-use, an easy to use knife is said to have blade length of 165 to 180mm, which is the typical Santoku size. Be sure to take into consideration the size of the kitchen and the cutting board; a knife that are too big may be difficult to use. When using at home, knives up to 240mm is more efficient to use. For Sashimi knives or Sujihiki and Gyuto knives to cut big chunks of meat, we recommend you choosing 240mm blade length. Smaller knives are useful for delicate procedures. If you are peeling vegetable skin or packing a small lunch, petty knives are probably more easy to use. Petty knives’ blade length ranges from 120 to 150mm.

We call knives that can cut various ingredients “Ban-Nou (All-purpose) knife”. The name all-purpose knife is an category of a knife that indicates its purpose, and knives are called differently depending on the size of the knife; Gyuto, Santoku, and Petty knife. At JIKKO, all purpose knife is called “ZENKIRI” as well. When preparing Japanese cuisines, different knives are used depending on the ingredients that are cut. So knives that can be used to cut anything are often western style knives instead. A all-purpose knife that are shaped so that it is easy to use at home, is called “Santoku knife” in Japan.

There are various steel materials used craft a knife, and each steel materials has great characteristics to them. At JIKKO, we recommend knives with SG2 (Powdered High-speed steel), that has great sharpness and rust resistance, and is easy to use. We recommend SG2 knives for those of you that loves to cook, as well as professional chefs that needs a good knife. SG2 is a type of powdered High-speed steel, and is a uniform and stable material that can keep the sharp angle. At JIKKO, we have successfully crafted a single-edged knife with using the SG2 steel; we hope to keep on crafting more knives with it.

The stainless steel material that has sharp cutting edge and rust resistance, is the SG2 steel. The steel was actually introduced quite recently to be used for the blade of the knife, and with its high carbon density, it makes the blade solid, and gives it great cutting edge to them. On top of that, compared to other stainless steel materials, SG2 has more fine and minute carbides, so it can have the blade tip especially sharp. SG2 steel allows the blade to have fine sharp edge that was not possible for the other stainless steel blades to have.

The knife with finest quality blades, are they”HONYAKI Knives” that are made with ONE PIECE of steel. The knives are made the same way as the Japanese katanas, and is made with ONE PIECE of steel, so they are extremely hard, has long-lasting sharp cutting edge, and is less likely to be warped. But unfortunately, not all craftsmen can craft a “HONYAKI knife”, so it is expensive compared to other knives, due to the hardness of crafting, and its rarity. It is the finest quality knife that many professional chefs dream of, saying “one day, I want to have the HONYAKI”.

Behn narrows his choices for best Japanese knife brands to Miyabi, Shun, and Tojiro. Miyabi is the most expensive, Shun moderate, and Tojiro a great value brand low on bells and whistles. He says Tojiro is the most durable and is less about the design, although they do have high-end options. Oct 2, 2024

DP Gyutou Chef's Knife Tojiro DP Gyutou Chef's Knife
A gyuto is one of the most versatile knives because it can be used with vegetables, fish, and meat. It resembles a Western-style chef's knife, with a rounded blade that lets you rock the knife while chopping, but it's a bit longer and not as tall. Oct 2, 2024

DP Gyutou Chef's Knife Tojiro DP Gyutou Chef's Knife
A gyuto is one of the most versatile knives because it can be used with vegetables, fish, and meat. It resembles a Western-style chef's knife, with a rounded blade that lets you rock the knife while chopping, but it's a bit longer and not as tall. Oct 2, 2024

DP Gyutou Chef's Knife Tojiro DP Gyutou Chef's Knife
A gyuto is one of the most versatile knives because it can be used with vegetables, fish, and meat. It resembles a Western-style chef's knife, with a rounded blade that lets you rock the knife while chopping, but it's a bit longer and not as tall. Oct 2, 2024

We have written a guide about which knives you really need but in short, the order you should be buying are: Gyuto – chef's knife, Petty/Paring, optionally a Nakiri or Santoku (these are Japanese style of knives and pretty handy at chopping veg and meat, carving and a bread knife.).

In some cultures, giving a knife as an gift might get interpreted as “cutting ties”, but it actually has good interpretation such as it “cuts off bad omens, and cuts open a path to new and good future” as well. And for those that loves to cook, or is a professional chef, knife is an great tool that can help them enhance their techniques and enjoy cooking even more. Many are also pleased having a knife as a gift, especially for instances like start of new beginnings in their lives, birthday presents, and a Mother’s Day gift as well. Knives can be a gift to wish someone have successful and abundant food life.

It depends on culture or religion that people believes in. Certain rules and customs differs depending on regions you live, or rules in each house; some rules are hard to be set as a rule that everyone follows. If you are concerned, it might be better to do some research first before you buy a knife, just in case.

People say that knives can “cut off bad omens, and cuts open a path to new and good future”. In Japan, there is a culture of “Mamori Gatana (protection swords/katanas) from long time ago; it is said that knives can act as an amulet, to protect you from disasters. Knives are also used for events such as cake cutting ceremonies and tape cuts, that symbolizes new beginnings in the life. Knives used for these situations have good meanings that “clears a path to a new beginning”.

At JIKKO, many customers come to choose and buy a knife for a wedding gifts. We have pamphlets to let people know about the good meaning that knives have, such as “cutting open a path to new and good future”. Also, knife is an tool to make cuisines, and can be a gift to wish family members’ health and longevity. It is also a great gift from mother to child as well.

The original Damascus steel is a type of steel that were used during the Middle Ages in the Middle East, which had unique patterns. The name was taken from Damascus is Syria, and it’s distinctive patterns were born by forging hundreds of metal and steel into layers. This technique gave knives and swords outstanding sharpness and beauties to them. But unfortunately, the technique was lost during the 18th Century. The Damascus steel/patterns we see today is an imitation of the ancient techniques that were lost.

The Damascus patterns are known for its beautiful layered patterns, but these patterns doesn’t actually enhance the sharpness of the blade. Since the beautiful Damascus patterns actually adds more to the production costs, for those who do not care about the appearance of the knife, it just makes the knife more expensive, which may be a big disadvantage for some. Also, when sharpening the knives, the Damuscus patterns may become lighter, and difficult to see. But this is not because the layers have disappeared; rather, by sharpening the blade, the wavelike patterns just doesn’t stand out as much.

What makes the Damascus steel so attractive, is the unique wavelike patterns it has, as well as the excellent sharpness, and high durability it has. By forging together several steel material layers, each knives are unique, and is one-of-a-kind, giving artistic values to the knife.

Damascus refers to the wavelike patterns that are created by layers and layers of the metals, and not the actual steel material. Thus, while Damascus patterned knives forged with carbon steel is easy to rust, knives forged with stainless steel materials are resistant to rust. The Damascus patterns does not determine the sharpness and the suggested maintenance needed for the knife; you need to be sure what steel materials are actually used, before caring for the knife.

The Damascus knives has beautiful wave-like patterns, that enhances its luxurious appearance. By using knives that you like, you can boost your motivation when cooking.

The molybdenum steel is a type of stainless steel for knives that has been modified by molybdenum; the blades’ abrasion resistance and flexibility are enhanced by adding molybdenum in. Due to these features, excellent durability and sharp edges that are easy to maintain are provided for daily usage. This is the reason why many chooses molybdenum steel knives for household use, especially since the price is often quite affordable.

Molybdenum is a popular stainless steel material used for household use knives. The steel is often used for Multipurpose household use Santoku knives, and is often affordable and easy to obtain.

Molybdenum is type of stainless steel material. Because of that, it’s a steel material for knives that is easy to maintain, being rust-resistant.

‘THE BEST’ material for knives cannot be defined simply. Choosing the material for knives could differ depending on wide range of factors, including intention, ease of maintenance, durability, price, and much more. Expensive knives might not always be the “BEST” knife; the knife could be expensive because of the designs and patterns, and customization, instead of the steel material that were used for the blade. Therefore, it best to first figure out what you are seeking, like “A knife that is rust-resistant” or “A knife that’s edge retention is excellent” before deciding the knife to buy, and then choose a knife that matches your needs.

All steel knife is forged from 1 piece of steel material. On the others hand, the Warikomi knives has 3-layered structure, and the hard carbon in the middle is sandwiched be soft iron or stainless steel when being forged. The advantage of this structure, is that the hard middle steel provides the sharpness, and the softer steel on the outside gives the knife flexibility and durability, so it would be less likely to break. The major difference between the All steel knife and the Warikomi knife is the difference in the structure and the materials that are used; therefore, people chooses the knife depending on each features, purposes, and preferences that the knife has.

Warikomi, is written “割込” in Japanese, and is a term used for the structure of the blade. Warikomi structure blade has the Carbon steel material sandwiched by soft iron.

AOGAMI is a type of knife that uses “Blue Paper steel (Blue paper Carbon steel)”, a type of high-carbon steel material for the blade. The blue paper steel has high solidity and abrasion resistance, resulting to blades with high edge retention that could endure long-term use, and you do not need to sharpen the blade as often. Also, since the solidity is high, sharp edges can last for a while, and sharpness of the blade is excellent. But since the steel is high-carbon steel material, it is easy to rust, and you need to be careful when taking care and storing the knife.

AOGAMI, or Blue paper carbon steel, is a steel material that offer sharp blades with high edge retention. Because of these features, while the sharpness lasts for a long time, it is also hard to sharpen the blade when needed. The blade could be sharpened the same way as the other steel material knives, but since the steel itself is solid, it takes more time to sharpen. For instance, compared to White Paper carbon steel, you need to hone the knife several times when sharpening the blade. But every time you sharpen the knife, you will get more used to it, and it will start to get easier to sharpen the blade. You just need to put effort, and practice several times before you could bring out the best performance of the knife.

If you are aiming for the knife that could bring out the best sharpness, you can say that White carbon steel #1 material blades has the most excellent sharpness. But at the same time, White carbon steel #1 is unstable during the quenching process; it’s also a rare steel material to forge a blade with the best sharpness available.

White carbon steel is suited for a blade that could perform the best. The material is favored by chefs that sharpen the blade every single time they use the knife. Meanwhile, the Blue-carbon steel has high edge retention, and the sharpness can last even after cutting in large amounts, so those who needs to cut a lot when cooking favors this steel material. Also, since the sharpness lasts for a long time, we recommend blue carbon steel material knives for those who does not like to sharpen as much.

Knives that uses Blue-carbon steel super have excellent sharp edges that last for a long time. The Blue-carbon steel super is the hardest of the carbon steel materials, and is popular among the professional chefs. We, JIKKO, also have knives with blades that are suited for household use, that is just the right size, and easy to use, with light Japanese type handles.

The white-carbon steel material blades are sharp, and easy to sharpen, so SHIRO2 series Japaneses style knives are popular for household use, as well as professional uses by chefs. JIKKO’s SHIRO2 series has the spine and the heel polished up, and has beautifully finished blades. Since the Steel material is easy to sharpen for a carbon steel, we also recommend the knives for those who are beginners to sharpening as well.

The mirror finish has advantages of having beautiful appearances and is not easy to rust, there are some disadvantages as well. First, maintains the mirror-finished knives need delicate care, and fingerprints, water droplets, and even minute scratches stands out, so to keep its fine beauty, you need constant maintenances with delicate care. Also, since the surface is slippery, the ingredients, especially fish and meat, can slip away when cutting, so you need to be extra cautious when cutting. On top of that, the manufacturing processes of having the knife with the mirror-finish is complex, so compared to other customizations and finishes, the knife tends to be more expensive.

The mirror-finished knives are extremely smooth, and due to the fine processing on the surface, it has traits that makes it less likely to rust. This smoothness makes liquid and residues to not stay on the blade as much, thus suppress the rust to appear on the blade. But, even though the finish suppress the rust from happening, it does not mean the blade won’t rust at all. If the knife was crafted with materials like carbon steel that is easy to rust, if it’s left moist, or was cutting highly acidic ingredients for a long time, the rust could occur on the blade. So, even with mirror-finished knives, it is best to wash and clean immediately after use, wipe off the liquid, and periodically coat it with oil to prevent it from rusting.

Same as “What are the disadvantages of having the mirror-finish for the knife?”

The mirror-finished knives are known for its beautiful gloss, and when demonstrating your cooking, the refined appearance can add positive impact to those who are watching. The smooth surface is gentle on the ingredients when cutting, and let you have beautiful cut sections. However, on the other hand, the water droplets and minute scratches can stand out on the mirror-finished blade, so you need constant and delicate care to maintain the luxurious appearance. Also, since the manufacturing processes of the mirror-finish is complex, and it takes time effort. So compared to other customizations, the mirror-finished knife tends to be more expensive.

When cutting with the mirror-finished knives, you can minimize friction when cutting the ingredients. As a result, you can beautifully cut the ingredients without crushing the fibres of the food. Also, knives with the mirror-finish looks quite impressive. It gives the knife a luxurious appearance, and creates magnificent and dignified atmosphere to the knife. If you have the knife on the kitchen countertop, it’s sure to catch everyone’s eyes! These knives are not only attractive because of their functional aspects; the design adds extra charm to the knife.

To sharpen your knife to have the mirror-finish by hand, you need time and perseverance to do so. First, you use waterproof abrasive paper and polish one-direction, and gradually use paper with higher granularity. To be more precise, you first polish vertically with #240 waterproof abrasive paper, then polish horizontally with #400 paper, vertically again with #600; you switch every time you use a finer waterproof abrasive paper. After polishing with the #600, polish horizontally with #1000 paper, vertically with #1500 paper. By taking these steps, the ruggedness of the materials’ surface will be polished off, making it smooth. Ultimately, use #2000, #5000, and #10000 liquid abrasive to polish the knife, and the mirror-finishing process is completed.
 “https://youtu.be/8HyvB15NH8Q?si=pnb2dk8AyxsFrt1s”

Knife with a mirror-finish is less likely to crush the fibres of the ingredients, thanks to its smooth surface. The smoothness is especially effective when cutting delicate ingredients like the sashimi, and it lets you cut so the the sashimi’s cut section have sharp edges and a beautiful shape. In addition, the smooth surface suppress the liquid from sinking into the blade, thus making the knife more rust resistant compared regular knives. But, there are disadvantages to the mirrors-finish as well. The smooth and glossy surface makes scratches to stand out, so you need to be extra cautious when washing and cleaning the knife. It is advised to use a soft sponge so you won’t damage the surface of the blade. By doing so, you can maintain the beauty and its functions for a long time.

Mirror-finish is a technique to polish up the knife to have a glossy mirror like surface that can even reflect the ingredients on the knife. With this finish, it increases the luxurious feel of the knife, and looks visually attractive. Particularly, if you are cooking in front of customers, like when using the countertop, this type of knife is especially popular. For those who seeks for the beautiful appearances and luxurious feel, the mirror-finish is an attractive option, so many tends to choose when purchasing the knife.

The knives with Honda-Zuke finish can maximize the sharpness to the fullest, and even if you are sharpening by yourself, the blade will be just right on the whetstone, making it easy to sharpen. At JIKKO, whenever we receive the Honda-Zuke order, our master sharpener “RYOTA” will sharpen each knife with care, to deliver the knife to you. The Honba-Zuke done by our master sharpener “RYOTA” is popular even among the professional chefs, and is highly popular for its extreme sharpness and beauty of the knife.

The black coating on the knife is processed with black rust treatment on the surface of the blade to have the blade black. We can customize the blade of your favorite knife to have the cool black look to them.
Since the black coating customization is done on the surface of the blade, when you sharpen the blade, the coating can come off. After sharpen the blade, you will be able to see the original color of the steel. The black coating customization is also popular since you can eventually have two-toned blade, with black surface and silver cutting edge blade.

At JIKKO, we accept handle exchange services from 2200 YEN (Magnolia wood handle with water buffalo horn). Depending on your preferences, you can choose different handles like ebony wood and handles with silver linings, so please choose a handle that matches your knife (the price differs depending on your choice).

You should change the handles whenever the handle starts to wobble, or have cracked. If you are using handles made with more durable materials like ebony wood, you do not need to exchange the handles as much. At JIKKO, we offer handle exchange service together with the sharpening services, so please use these services to care for your knives!

You can keep using the knife until the blade is no longer. To maintain good edge retention, you need to sharpen and manage the knives at appropriate moments. Also, keep in mind that Japanese type handles may be damaged. Japanese type handles can be exchanged; wisely use the handle exchange services so you can keep on using the same knife.

When sharpening your knife with an whetstone, you can check the “KAERI (Burr)” to know your progress. “KAERI/Burr” is what comes out on the opposite side of the blade when sharpening with the whetstone; when you touch the flat side of the knife with your fingers, if something is “catching” your fingers, it means that you have sharpened the blade. If you can’t feel the “KAERI/burr”, that part of the knife is not sharpened yet, so you should sharpen again. When the whetstone is not flat, and is dented, the knife’s blade may not be hitting against the whetstone, and you won’t be able to sharpen the blade correctly. Therefore, before sharpen your knife, you need to have the whetstone flat.

There are several reasons why the blade may be chipped. By being aware of the proper way to use and store the knife, you can avoid these problems written below.
Contact with hard objects: By hitting/cutting bones and hard ingredients, the blade to- may be chipped. This could happen when cutting solid vegetables and frozen foods.
Improper application of force: When you put too much sideway force on the knife, the blade could get cracked. The correct way to cut ingredients is to cut vertically when applying force.
Damage from dropping the knife: When you drop the knife, by hitting the ground or other solid objects, the knives could get cracked.
Cutting frozen food: You should especially be careful when cutting partially thawed food. The food tend to be solid, and more damage is done to the knife when cutting. It is important to be aware of these factors, so you can properly use and store the knives. If you neglect properly taking care of the knife, the knife’s ability can drop, and is often not safe to use. Be sure to wash immediately after use, and wipe off liquid before storing the knives. Be also aware of properly holding and using the knife, and use the proper tools when cutting harder ingredients.

To fix a chipped knife, you need to use the whetstone and sharpen the knife. There are 3 important factors when sharpening your knife.
Choosing the Whetstone: choose the appropriate whetstone depending on how much the blade is chipped (example:#220 to #400 whetstone). After you have sharpened the chip with a rough whetstone, use medium, and fine grade whetstones.
Maintaining the angle when sharpening: Hold the knife at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees against the whetstone and evenly sharpen the blade
Sharpening the knife evenly: Sharpen not just where the blade was chipped; sharpen the entire blade evenly to balance out.

The reasons why there may be a nick on the blade are impacts from hard/solid objects, improper usage of the knife, application of force to the side of the knife by cutting inappropriately, and large impact on the knife like when dropping the knife. By avoiding these factors, and being sure of properly using and storing the knife, you can avoid nicks to the blade. For example, we hear cases like “I cut in the the bones of the fish and the knife chipped”, “I was cutting semi thawed meat, but the inside was still frozen and I accidentally cut into frozen part and the knife got damaged”, “I was cutting Kabocha pumpkin and the knife got stuck, so I moved it sideways to get it out when the knife broke” from many people.

You can keep using the knife until the blade is no longer. Even if you sharpen, household knives can be used for over 20 to 30 years. Some families even pass down their knives, generation after another and keep using the same knife. You need proper maintenance to keep the edge of the blade sharp for a long time. By periodically sharpening the knife when needed, and sometimes taking your knife to a professional knife shop to resharpen the knives when there are defects, you can keep on using the same knife for years to come.

To remove the rust off, you can use cleaners to remove the rust. First, have adequate amount of cleansers on the blade, and gently wipe the blade with soft sponge or wine cork. By doing so, you can remove the rust off the knife. You can also use rust remover type erasers as well, but it can damage the surface of the blade, so you need to be careful when using them. And also, if the rust is deeply rooted in to the knife, you may not be able to completely remove the rust. In that case, be sure NOT to rub too hard when trying to remove the rust.

Though the stainless steel materials used for knives are resistant to rust, it does not mean it won’t rust. So, to need to be careful of the liquid moistures after use. If you have kept the knife in the water for a long time, or left the knife as is after use, there are higher chances for the knife to rust. If the knife have rusted, gently rubbing the rust off by using tools like rust removing erasers. It is important to removing the rust off immediately when you see a rust on the blade.

Yes, you can sharpen the knife by yourself. It is common to use a knife sharpener or a whetstone to sharpen the knife. However, proper techniques and skills are needed to sharpen the knife, so you need to be careful when doing so. Also, depending on the type of knife and steel material, be aware that different methods are needed to sharpen the knife. At JIKKO, we have posted sharpening videos for each types of knives, so please refer to them when sharpening.

How often you need to sharpen depends on how much you use the knife, the type of knife, and how exactly you are sharpening knives. You need to sharpen your knife whenever it starts to feel dull, or when it’s not cutting as much. If you are using regular household use knife, you can maintain the sharpness by sharpening the knife once every 2 to 3 months. And we also recommend for you to take the knife to a professional to sharpen your knives once every 1 to 2 years.

To check to see if the knife is sharpened or not, it’s important to see if there are “KAERI/burr” on the knife. This “KAERI/burr” results from fine residue that appear on the opposite side of the knife when sharpening the knife. In Japanese, it is also called “BARI” as well, and it feels like something that catches on to your fingers when you touch it. If you can feel the burr on the opposite side of the blade that you have just sharpened, that means you have properly sharpened the blade. On the other hand, if you cannot feel the slight residue, there may be parts that are not sharpened well, so you need to re-sharpen where ever you need to.

You can approximately tell if you have sharpened enough or not, with the “KAERI/BARI (burr)” on the opposite side of the blade. If you can feel the slight burr on the blade, you can tell that if the blade were sharpened enough or not. If you feel that something is catching on to your fingers, that means that the knife was indeed sharpened enough.

When asked how much you need to sharpen so the knife would be sharp enough, the answer is “If you sharpen until you get cutting edges on the blade”. Whether the knife is single or double-Edged, the knife cannot be cut without the blade. So whenever you are sharpening a knife, be sure the whetstone is flat, so all parts of the blade will be against the whetstone when sharpening. Also, if you can feel the “KAERI/burr”, a fine residue resulting from scrapes of the steel material that has been sharpened, on the opposite side of the blade, you can tell that that part that you have sharpened is sharpened Is best to sharpen in several parts, and don’t sharpen from the heel to the tip of the blade at once.

The modern day stainless steel knives have significantly improved over the years, and could be sharpened like the carbon steel knives to restore the sharpness of the blade. In the past, it was difficult to sharpen stainless steel knives, and was hard to have the knife sharp again, due to the nature of the steel. But with the advance of technology, the situation has improved, and modern day stainless steel knives can be sharpened to restore the sharpness of the blade, thus resulting to the longevity of the knife. With these advancement, “stainless steel can’t be sharpened” in now old, outdated theory.

Usually, bread cutting knives have wavy, serrated edges. The blade are made so that it can let you cut through bread crusts, as well as the soft parts of the bread without smushing it. But because of this, bread knives cannot be sharpened the same way you sharpen normal knives. You need to use specific file and tools for the bread knife, so it is not easy to sharpen a bread knife at home.

If you want to keep using the same knife, you need proper care and maintenance of the knife.first of all, knife is an delicate tool, and can get chipped quite easily. So, it is important to use a knife that is suited for each ingredients. For example, multipurpose knives like Santoku knives can be chipped if you try to cut fish bones and fruit seeds, so you need to be careful when cutting.
Also, carbon steel type knives are extremely sensitive to water, and if you leave the knife moist even for a little while, it could get rusted immediately. Be sure to wash the knife immediately after use, pour hot water over it to evaporate the moisture, and wipe the knife clean. Afterwards, you can lightly coat the knife with oil to prevent it from rusting.
Additionally, periodic sharpening is also important to keep the blade sharp. If you are able to sharpen the blade properly, the sharp of the blade can be restored, so you do not need to buy a new knife every time the knife becomes dull.

To prevent the knife from rusting, it is important to wash immediately after use, and not to leave food residues and moistures on the blade. You need to be especially careful when cutting acidic and salty foods, and be sure to wash immediately, and be sure there are no residue on the blade. After you washed the blade, evaporate the liquid away by pouring hot water on the blade, and then wiping it with a soft cloth, and store in a well ventilated area to be safe. On top of that, by periodically coating the blade with slight oil, you can avoid contact with the moisture, and prevent the knife from rusting.

To prevent the knife from rusting, it is important to wash and clean immediately after use. You need to be especially careful after you cut acidic or salty ingredients, and be sure to wash and clean so there are no residue left on the knife. After you washed the knife, evaporate the liquid by pouring hot water on the blade, and then dry it off with a soft cloth. Choose a well ventilated area to store the knife, and periodically wipe the knife with oil to avoid contact with moisture, and also rust.

There are 3 main types of handles used for JIKKO’s knives. First, the Japanese style knives, which the blade is inserted into the handle. Next, the Western style knives sandwiches the blade, and is pinned down with rivets. Lastly, all stainless steel type knives are all-in-one type. Generally, knives like Gyuto and Sujihiki has Western style handles, but at JIKKO, we carry different types of handles for usually western style knives as well.

朴(HOUNOKI), or magnolia wood, is an material often used for knife handles. This wood is easy to handle, and is resistant to water but light, so is quite suited to use for handles for the knife. Also, the handles ,add with this wood fits into the hands well, and isn’t as slippery even after being wet.

The Japanese kanji “柄” is written as “E” when written in alphabet, and when read, you read it like “A” in English. Usually, this Kanji is read “GARA”, which means patterns, but if the kanji is used for knives, you don’t read it as “GARA”.

Household use stainless steel knives can last up to about 30 years. The life span of the knife depends on how much you use or sharpen, but if you are able to properly care and sharpen the knife, the knife can be used until it physically can’t be sharpened. This is why many acknowledge knife as something that you live with, and some even pass down the knives to the next generation.

Many probably decides to buy a new knife once it is dull and is not cutting any more, but you can actually keep using the same knife for a long time by properly sharpening the knife until the blade is no longer. And once you buy a household use knife, you can use the for a lifetime, and can even pass down the knife to the next generation. Therefore, rather than buying a new knife, it is better to learn the proper way to maintain the knife to keep on using it. Also, we advise you to choose and buy a knife that is suited for use, depending on the ingredients you are cutting.

The lifespan of a household use knife can differ greatly depending on how often you use the knife, maintenance method, and the materials of the knife. If proper care and maintenance is done to a high quality knife, that knife could be used for years to come. For high carbon steel knives, you can expect the knife to last for 20 to 30 years if used correctly with proper care. And if the sharpness of the knife isn’t being restored after sharpening by yourself, we advise you to take it to a professional like us, JIKKO, for special sharpening services to restore your knife. At specialty stores, thorough maintenance is done, from sharpening the blade, fixing the bent and warps of the blade, and many more, to have your knives restored back, ready to be used again.

You do not need to sharpen household knives every single day, but if you are aiming or the best sharpness at all times, it is best to sharpen every time after use. But, by sharpening the knife each and every time, you can shorten the lifespan of the knife; we advise you to not to sharpen the knife with #1000 grade whetstone in this situation. Instead, use a more finer whetstone with less attrition, like #3000 grade whetstones.

Carbon steel knives are extremely sensitive to moisture, that in some cases, if you leave it wet for more than 5 minutes, the knife could rust. Be sure to immediately wash, evaporate the liquid off by pouring hot water on it, and wipe it off with a soft cloth so there are no moisture left. In addition, good to thinly wipe the blade with oil to avoid it from rusting. On the other hand, the stainless steel is rust resistant, and easy to maintain, so for those of you that are worried about the knife rusting, we recommend you getting a stainless steel knife instead.

To sharpen the knife and avoid it from rusting, first, be sure to soak the whetstone completely with water, so that the whetstone won’t dry out while sh. When sharpening, you need to have the blade at appropriate angle to the whetstone, and sharpen with equable pressure, so the knife would be sharpened evenly. Once you have sharpened the knife, immediately wash the knife with water, to wash away the residues of the steel material and the whetstone, and be sure to completely dry it off. What is important, is not to have moisture left on the blade. Finally, wipe the completely dry blade with thin oil, to prevent rust from moisture in the air.

You can still use a knife that has rust. The rust that occurs on the knife is not toxic to the body, so you shouldn’t have problems even if it went in inside your body, so there is no need to be worried. However, if the cutting blade is rusted, the knife will be dull, and won’t be as sharp, so you need to care for that reason. If you feel that the knife isn’t cutting well because of the rust, use a whetstone to sharpen off the rust. Also, if rust appears on the flat side of the knife, you can use cleansers, and wipe off the rust gently with a soft sponge. It also useful to use rust removing erasers like “Sabi-Toru” as well.

If you are properly taking care of the knife, a stainless steel knife capsule last for over 20 to 30 years. Knife is something that can be used for a long time, so when buying a knife, we recommend you to choose a knife with better steel materials, since knives with good steel materials last longer, and can have the sharpness restored by sharpening the knife. However, if you buy a cheap knife, the sharpness of the knife is likely to drop faster, and are more dull, and sometimes need to buy new knives a lot, and won’t be able to use a knife for a long time.

To sharpen a double-edged knife, you need to sharpen both sides of the blade, and you need to make sure to put force in at different parts of the knife when sharpening. First, when sharpening the front side, have the spine of the blade inward, and have the blade on the whetstone. Apply force so that your moving the knife outward when sharpening, and release energy when bringing back the knife towards you. When sharpening the other side of the knife, have the spine of the blade outward, and put force in oppositely; put force in when sharpening inwards, and release energy going outward. By doing this, you can sharpen by using pressure at accurate moments, and will be able to sharpen the knife evenly.

To sharpen a double-edged knife, have the blade of the knife on the whetstone in an angle of 45 degrees. The angle that you need lift the knife is about 1 or 2 Japanese 10 yen coin. When sharpening, have your left pointing finger and middle finger in the area that you are sharpening, and move the knife back and forth to sharpen. For one section, be sure to sharpen back and forth for about 10 times, and be sure to put more force in when pushing away from you, and release energy as you pull towards you. It’s good to sharpen knife in sections, may be about 5, so it will be easier to sharpen. If you see KAERI,burr on the knife, that means you are sharpening the knife correctly. When sharpening the other side, your doing the same thing, but put force in backwards, since the blade is on the opposite side.

When sharpening a single-edged knife, you first sharpen from the side with the blade. If you have sharpened the blade evenly, there will be KAERI/BARI (burr), or fine residues of the steel, on the backside of the blade. If there are no BARI on the backside of the blade, that means that the knife isn’t sharpened well enough, so you need to keep on sharpening until there is. After you finish the front side, you will lightly sharpen the backside. For the backside, you just need to sharpen enough so the BARI is sharpened off from the knife. By sharpening, you can maximize the knife potential and always keep the sharp cutting edge.

When sharpening your knife with a regular knife sharpener, how much you need to sharpen depends on the sharpener. Read the instructions, and check how many times you need to sharpen. Usually, common sharpener ask you to sharpen for about 10 times. If that isn’t making the knife sharp enough, we recommend sharpening for like 5 more times with it.

Sashimi knife are specialized to slice sashimi, without crushing the delicate fibers of the ingredients. The knife has long blade, and is made so that it can cut in one stroke. Other than sashimi, since the knife is long and skinny, it is also useful when cutting bread as well.

Some may think that stainless steel knives cannot be sharpened, but actually, stainless steel knives can be sharpened the same way you sharpen a carbon steel knife with the whetstone. In the past, carbon steel materials were used as the main material to forge a knife, and there weren’t much high quality stainless steel materials that were used for knives. Because of that, even if you sharpen a stainless steel knife, it was likely that the sharpness of the knife was not restored. But now, more high quality stainless steels are used to forge knives, so if you sharpen the knife properly, you can restore stainless steel knife’s sharpness as well.

No—high heat, detergents and rattling will dull edges, warp handles and accelerate corrosion; always hand-wash and dry. (General manufacturer guidance)

Never Cut On Stone Or Glass
The true enemy of sharp knives everywhere are glass cutting boards and countertops. Not only does cutting on them quickly dull and ruin the sharp edge of your blade, but they are also very unsafe. The slick surface will cause your knife to slip and the edge to roll.

To prevent a dull knife and keep it in excellent condition, here are the top things you should never do with a Japanese knife. Using the Wrong Knife for the Job. Twisting the Knife. Cutting Frozen Food. Improper Use of Cleavers. Not Hand Washing and Drying Immediately. Not Regularly Sharpening. More items... • Aug 5, 2024

As a large portion of Japanese knives has a single bevel edge they will not be compatible with most sharpeners. Neither would we recommend using an electric knife sharpener on serrated knives.

The Usuba knife is a Japanese style knife designed to cut mainly vegetables, and is suited to do delicate work with the knife. Since it is single-edged, the Usuba knives have extremely sharp cutting edges with precise angles. The Usuba knife is an must-have tool for Japanese cuisines that requires Katsuramuki (rotary pealing) and thin slices of vegetables like Daikon radishes. The Kanto-style Usuba has rectangular shaped blade tip, while the Kansai-style Usuba (aka Kama-Usuba) has round blade tip.

Definition of a MIOROSHI Knife
Mioroshi knife is a type of Japanese style knife, that can be used as Sashimi knife as well as Deba knife. In Japanese, Mioroshi is written “身卸”. When using this knife, you can cut the fish head off and remove the bones by using the heel of the blade to fillet the fish, and use the long blade to slice the fish meat into sashimi. Though it is not as thick compared to the Deba knife, Mioroshi knife is still thicker then other knives, and is quite durable. If you have a Mioroshi knife, it is quite useful when you need to fillet the fish. So for those of you that just want to carry one knife that can fillet a fish, Mioroshi knife is a good knife to have!

Deba is a knife that is used when cutting apart the whole fish. The knife is thick, and is durable, so it can even cut fish bones. There are different types of Deba knives, and Mioroshi knife and Ajikiri Knife are type of Deba knives. In addition, the Deba knife can also be used to cut solid ingredients like Kabocha pumpkins, and not just fish.

Deba knife can be used to fillet the fish into 3 pieces, and to cut off the head of the fish. Therefore, Deba is an essential knife to have when cooking fish dishes.

It is best to sharpen the Deba knife each time before filleting the fish. But, if it is difficult to sharpen the Deba knife every single time, you can just sharpen whenever it feels like the sharpness dropped. Since the Deba knives are used to cut off something hard like fish bones, the blade tends to be often damaged. When filleting a fish, if you are not using a knife that is sharp, the fish meat can be crushed, so it is best to sharpen to maintain the sharpness of the blade. If you feel even a slight notch when cutting, it is best to sharpen the blade of the Deba knife.

Deba is a knife that is used when cutting apart the whole fish. The knife is thick, and is durable, so it can even cut fish bones. There are different types of Deba knives, and Mioroshi knife and Ajikiri Knife are type of Deba knives. In addition, the Deba knife can also be used to cut solid ingredients like Kabocha pumpkins, and not just fish.

The Deba knives are thicker and is crafted to be durable than other knives, so that it could cut some hard like fish bones. When you cut fish from scratch, you need to cut apart the bones and drop the head of the fish; other knives that have thinner blades can be chipped easily when doing so.

The Deba knife is used to fillet a fish into 3 pieces, and to cut off the head of the fish. So, it is a knife that is necessary to have when cooking fish dishes.

Deba knife is an knife that are specialized to fillet the fish. It is especially suited for Sanmai-Oroshi (filleting fish into 3 pieces), and to cut apart the bones from the fish. The thickness and the hardness of the knife is also useful when cutting off the head of the fish, and when handling the bones. This knife that is mainly used for Japanese dishes, is suited for cuisines that require precise filleting when preparing.

The Deba knife is especially suited for tasks like filleting fish into 3 pieces, cutting off the bones, and the head of the fish. It can also be used to remove fish scales and internal organs; the thickness and the weight of the knife provides you stability and durability when treating the fish. The Deba knife can also be used to cut solid ingredients other than fish as well. For example, when you cut solid vegetables like the Kabocha pumpkin, the single-edged Deba knife, that is thicker and heavier than the regular multipurpose knives, be able to cut them with ease.

AiDeba has thinner and lighter blade compared to the regular Deba knife, so they are easier to use than the regular Deba, and is suited to fillet the fish into 2 or 3 pieces. The thickness of AiDeba is in between the Deba and Mioroshi knife. But, AiDeba is not suitable if you are cutting apart the bones of the fish, so you need to have the blade along the ingredients, and hold down when cutting. If you try to cut apart the bones with its weight, these are chances for the blade to chip, so you need to be aware when doing so. Nonetheless, there are some knife brands that call the Deba knife “AiDeba” knife as well.

KoDeba knives refers to Deba knives that are smaller in size, that generally have blade lengths around 105mm to 120mm. The blade of the Deba ranges from 105mm to 300mm in size, and KoDeba refers to those that are smaller in size. These knives are suited to fillet smaller fishes, and is easier to use since they are lighter; KoDeba is recommended when intricate work is required, or if you can’t use a knife that is so heavy.

Deba is a knife that is distinct to Japan, and is known for its unique origins and roots. This knife was born during the Genroku era, in Sakai city, Osaka, that is known as the production area of knives, deeply rooted to the Japanese history. An interesting anecdote behind the name “Deba”, arose from the characteristic that the Sakai’s blacksmith had, who is said to have developed the Deba knife. It is said that the blacksmith had “Deppa (Buck teeth)”, so the knives he made was called “Deppa’s knife”; over the time, the knives were called “Deppa Knife”, and the name evolved to “Deba Knife” as time flew by, and stayed as is. The Deba knife with this unique origins, is suited to fillet the fish with its thickness and durability, and is now one of the necessary tools to have, for those who cook Japanese cuisines.

The main difference of the western Deba and the Regular Deba knife, is that the western Deba knives are “double-edged”, while the traditional Deba knives are “Single-edged”; they are both meant to fillet the fish, but while the traditional Deba specializes in filleting the fish, the western Deba can be used for various situations. The traditional Deba knives are specialized so that it can fillet a fish, and is crafted with thick blade and shape that is suited to treat the bones of the fish. Meanwhile, the western Deba was designed to suit more western dishes, and can be used to cut wide range of foods including fish and meat.

What you need to fillet the fish
To fillet a fish, you need two types of knives; Deba knife, and Sashimi knife. The Deba is thick and durable, so it can be used to cut the fish apart. You can use Deba for when you need to cut off the head of the fish, and to remove the bones. Meanwhile, you can use the Sashimi knife’s long blade, to slice the fish with one stroke to cut sashimi. The “Sabakeru set” we carry has fish scale and fish bone removers that can help you when preparing, with the two knives, that is quite useful, so is a must-have set that we recommend.

Since the Deba knife is single-edged, those of you who are left-handed needs to have a Deba knife with the cutting edge on the left side of the blade, since you won’t be able to cut using regular right-handed Deba knives with your left-hand. At JIKKO, we would like to have all the left-handed chefs to be able to choose various Japanese style knives as well, so we have crafted single-edged knives for you. Please check out our stock, and if you can’t find the one you want to purchase, we can take customization orders, so please contact us any time!

Just as the name implies, the Sashimi knife is used to cut sashimi. By using its long blade, if you can slice with one pull stoke, you can cut sashimi without crushing the fibres, and with beautiful cut section with edges standing straight. When you slice a sashimi with shorter, regular multipurpose knives, you need to move the blade up and down several times to completely cut apart, and can crush the fibres by doing so. Since sashimi is eaten raw, is is necessary to use the Sashimi knife, that can slice in one pull stroke to beautifully cut sashimi without crushing the fibres.

All knives sold at JIKKO is sharpened so that blade is attached, ready for use. So after the purchase, you just need to wash the blade before use, and can be used to cut immediately. But often times, many Japanese style knives like the Sashimi knife are sold without the blade attached, so you must first sharpen the blade to use, after the purchase. Be sure to check that the blade is already attached, before your purchase.

The Sashimi knife is designed with long, skinny blade, and is made to pull slice fish meat in one stroke. A regular household knife, refers to multipurpose Santoku knives often used at home. The blade of the Santoku knives are wider compared to the Sashimi knives, and the tip tends to be round to be used safely. For usage, while the Sashimi knife is made specifically so that it can slice sashimi, the Santoku knife is an multipurpose knife that can cut various foods like vegetables, meat, and fish, with one knife.

Yanagiba is a type of Sashimi knife, and Sashimi knife is a category of Japanese style knives. The Yanagiba knives are designed so that it can slice fish especially thin, and is characterized by its long, skinny blade. With this, the knife can slice a sashimi with smooth and beautiful cut section with pull stroke. Meanwhile, Sashimi knives (aka “Sashimi Yanagiba”), are used to slice sashimi as well, but the term is more widely used to refer several types of certain knives. Therefore, you can say that Yanagiba knife is a type of Sashimi knife, that is specialized to slice sashimi with its long, skinny blade.

The advantages of using a Yanagiba knife is that you can slice fish into sashimi with smooth and beautiful cut section, in one pull stroke using its long and skinny blade. By doing so, you will be able to bring out the best flavours and textures of the food. Also, since you can accurately cut with this knife, the Yanagiba knives are highly acknowledged by professional chefs. The disadvantages that the Yanagiba knife has, is that compared to other knives, caring for the knife is more unique, and you need to learn the right way to maintain the knife (especially when sharpening the knife). Also, since the knife is specifically designed to slice sashimi, use is limited, and is not suited to do other cooking preparations with the knife. The knife also tends to be more higher in price, and you also need to take into consideration that it may be harder for beginners to use and manage the knife.

The Sashimi knife is specifically designed so that it can slice sashimi smoothly and beautifully. For those who often prepare Japanese cuisines like sashimi, or put emphasis on the appearance of the food, you can say that Sashimi knife is necessary to have. But if you’re not preparing sashimi daily, or if your multipurpose knife serve you enough, it’s not something that you must have. There are people that slice sashimi with long Gyuto knife instead as well. Necessary or not depends on the persons cooking habits and purposes.

The advantage of the Yanagiba knife is the long skinny blade that can slice sashimi with smooth and beautiful cut section in one pull stroke. With this, it makes it possible to bring out the best flavours and textures of the food. Also, the shape make it possible to cut accurately, especially when preparing fish dishes, and you’ll be able to produce professional dishes as a result.

The Sashimi knife is mainly used to slice sashimi thinly and smoothly. This unique knife lets you prepare sashimi with wonderful texture and beautiful appearance, and maximize the freshness and flavours of the fish. When filleting the fish, you use the Deba knife, to cut apart the fish meat to be sliced. Once you have prepared the block of fish meat, you can use the Sashimi knife to slice the sashimi with pull stroke. Therefore, when preparing sashimi from scratch, you need both the Daba and the Sashimi knife.

Sashimi knives are made specifically to thinly slice fish and seafoods. It is mainly used to prepare raw fish cuisines like sashimi and sushi dishes. The blade is thin and skinny, so that it’s suited to slice and cut apart thin fish meat.

When you are slicing sashimi, slicing from the right or left depends on how you are cutting. If you re making “Hirazukuri”, a slice of sashimi with certain thickness, you generally start cutting from the right, and if you are slicing really thinly (Sogigiri), you cut from the left. How you move the knife differs as well; for Hirazukuri, you have your knife perpendicular and straight down against the eye of the fish, and for sogigiri, you lay your knife flat and slice in an angle.

What is important when slicing sashimi, is to hold the knife correctly. By firmly holding the knife, you can apply constant force, and will be able to smoothly cut the fish meat. Firmly hold the handle of the knife with your hand, and fix the position with your thumb. It is also effective to have your pointing finger on the spine of the knife to stabilize. Stable posture is important as well. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and have you body leaning slightly forward to improve efficiency, so that you can cut steadily. By being aware of how you hold the knife and your posture when using the sashimi, you’ll be sure to prepare beautifully sliced sashimi.

There are double-edged and single-edged blade for knives, but which is “better” depends on the person’s personal preferences and purposes.
Single-Edged Knife
Characteristics: the cutting edge is on one side of the blade (Japanese style knives, Deba, Sashimi, Usuba knives and more)
Advantages: can perform a delicate cut, and is especially suited to prepare for dishes like sushi and sashimi, or Japanese cuisines that require to slice thin

Double-Edged Knife
Characteristics: the cutting edge is on both sides of the blade (Santoku, Gyuto knife, and more)
Advantages: whether you’re left or right-handed, you can use it with ease, and can cut wide range of ingredients.

In the end, it’s best to choose the knife that suit your cooking styles and preferences. For example, if you prepare Japanese cuisines daily, a single-edged knife might be better to choose. Meanwhile, if you are cooking wide range of cuisines, then double-edged knife may by more useful for you.

Sashimi knife is an type of Japanese style knife, that is made specifically to slice sashimi. This knife is use to slice and cut sashimi from “Saku”, a block of fish meat after the bones are removed. The long, skinny blade of the knife lets you slice the fish in one pull stroke, resulting to sashimi with beautiful cut sections.

Sashimi knives are single-edged. Since the single-edged knife are sharpened so that the cutting edge is only on one side of the knife, the knife has extremely sharp edge, and cut sections will turn out beautifully by using these knife. This feature is quite optimal when preparing delicate dishes like sashimi, and can especially demonstrate the best performance when slicing thinly. But, since most single-edged knives are generally made for right-handed people, left-handed people needs to purchase knives specifically made for left-handed people.

Takohiki and Sashimi knife both has long and skinny blade, and is designed to slice sashimi in one pull stroke. What is different about them, is the shape; the Takohiki knife is more thinner and skinnier than the Sashimi knife. Also, the Sashimi knife has three different typed blade tip; Yanagiba with tip that is pointy, Sakimaru that is shaped like the katana knife, and Kiritsuke that has blade tip cut off. Meanwhile, the tip of. The Takohiki knife is square shaped, so it’s not suited for tasks that needs to use the sharp blade tips.

Santoku knife in multipurpose knife that is essential, must-have tool used in Japanese kitchen. Because it can cut meat, fish, and vegetables with just this one knife, it is called the “San-Toku (three profits)”. The Santoku knife’s blade is about 165 to 180mm in size, and the tip is often round. It is shaped so that vegetables that are often cut in Japan can be cut easily, so it’s also a good knife for beginners to have as well.

The Gyuto knives can smoothly cut ingredients with its sharp cutting edge, and has versatility that let you cut many ingredients like meat, fish, and vegetables. On top of that, the smooth cut sections makes the food look better, and the long blade can let you cut bigger chunks of food at once, which lets you cook more efficiently.

Gyuto knives, that has wide range of blade size, are multipurpose that can cut variety of food ingredients like meat, fish, and vegetables, so is highly recognized. And when it comes to smoothly cutting apart larger chunks of meat and vegetables, the wide and long blade becomes especially helpful, and lets you efficiently cut apart the ingredients. Also, when cutting delicate ingredients like sashimi, the Gyuto lets you slice them easily; the Gyuto’s diverse functionality helps you out to further explore wide range of cuisines.

A Santoku knife is a multipurpose knife that can cut wide variety of food like meat, fish, and vegetables, so is highly valued for home-use easy-to-use knife. Because the size is easy to use and is often made with a round tip, it’s great to have, even for beginners. On top of that, while it is multipurpose like the Gyuto knife, Santoku knives have wider blade, and it shaped so that it fits well on the cutting board. Thus, when cutting ingredients such as leafy vegetables, you can avoid cutting short and can cut the whole piece apart.

When washing the knife, please use a neutral dish detergent. Also, avoid using hard sponge and scrubbers that could damage the knife; instead, use a soft sponge to clean your knife.

When washing your knife, be sure to firmly hold the handle, and move the sponge from spine of the blade to the blade tip. Be very careful so you want cut yourself when washing the knife.

Only type of knives that you can put in the dish wash to clean, are those that are all stainless steel knives. If you wash wooden handle knives with the dish wash, the wood can crack when drying, and color may fade from the heat of the dish wash. Another thing you need to be careful, is the fact that other dishes may hit the knife when washing, resulting to damages to the knife, and could even chip the blade. Therefore, it is best to not use the dish wash and hand wash the knives, and dry them with towels!

When you need to wash knives during home economics or cooking classes, make safety the first priority, and efficiently wash the knives, especially if you’re a beginner level.

1. Wash immediately after use: By washing immediately after use, the food is less likely to solidify on the blade, so it will be easier to wash. Also, if food remains are left on the blade, it could lead to rust as well.
2. Use warm water and dish detergent:
Wash with warm water and sponge with dish detergents.
3. Safely wash the knife:
Use the soft side of the sponge, and wash carefully so that you’re not touching the blade tip with your hands. You can safely wash the knife by moving the sponge along the blade.
4. Rinse the knife:
Rinse the knife with water so there are no dish detergent left on the knife.
5. Wipe off the water:
Use a clean cloth or paper towel from blade to the handle to wipe off the liquid.
By making sure to follow these instructions, you can keep the knife clean, and use them safely.

How ever expensive it was, if you are not sharpening the blade of the knife at all, it is impossible for the knife to maintain it’s sharpness. A knife is a tool that needs to be sharpened every so often to keep using. Therefore, if you want to restore the sharpness of the blade, it is necessary to sharpen the blade. If you can’t sharpen the knives by yourself, it is best to have it sharpened by a professional, or use a simple sharpener to restore the sharpness.

To check the sharpness of the blade, the easiest way to check is to cut a piece of copy paper of newspaper with the knife. If the blade is dull, you won’t be able to cut the paper right, and the paper will either tear when torn, or the blade just won’t go in to the paper right. On the other hand, nicely sharpened blade can smoothly go in to the paper, and you’ll be able to cut the paper smoothly. You can also crumple a tissue paper and try cutting it with the knife as well. By using these methods, you can easily check the sharpness of the knife.

The best way to improve the sharpness of the knife, is to sharpen the knife using the whetstone. The simple sharpeners that are often used at homes may seem to make the cutting edge better to some point; but actually, they roughen the cutting edge, and make it so that the blade get caught in the ingredients. As a result, the sharpness drops quite fast. Therefore, it is importantly to periodically sharpen the knife with an whetstone, or take it to a knife shop that offer sharpening services. So next time you buy a new knife, it might be a good chance to learn how to sharpen the knives for yourself.

The trick to cut well with a knife, is to first learn and be able to hold the correct way to hold the knife, and support the heel of the blade with your thumb and pointing finger. Next, secure the ingredients to be cut so it won’t move or slip away. When you are using the knife, don’t put too much force; light have the cutting edge on the food, and slice by moving the whole blade. Also, it is important to cut at a steady pace, and cut neatly, without rushing. Be always aware of safety, and periodically sharpen the knife to keep the fine cutting edge.

If your knife isn’t cutting well even after you sharpened, it is usually because either the sharpening wasn’t done correctly, or the granularity of the whetstone is not adequate. There are various whetstones with different granularity, from those that are rough, to ones that are fine. If you are not sharpening appropriately with the right granularity in order, the cutting edge will not be sharp enough. Also, if you are not constantly sharpening in the same angle, the blade won’t be sharpened evenly, affecting the sharpness of the blade. On top of that, if the blade tip is damaged or the quality of the blade itself is low from the start, the sharpness may not be restored back. If you just cannot restore the sharpness of the blade, we recommend you taking your knife to the professional to request maintenance.

What you need be be cautious when carrying around a knife, is two things: be sure that the blade won’t be exposed, and that the blade won’t be damaged when transporting it. If the blade can be exposed easily, that means that you can hurt yourself and things around the knife, so make sure not to expose the blade. If you need to carry around the knife often, it may be a good idea to have a knife case or an Saya for the blade.

Violation of the act for Controlling the Possision of Firearm or Swords or not depends on how or why you are carrying the knife. The law generally prohibits someone to carry firearms and swords in the public without permission, but if you have a valid reason or purpose carrying the knife (example: professional use based on your occupation, taking the knife you purchased to your home), it won’t be violation of the law. What’s important, is having the knife securely packed, and you have a valid reason that you can explain when asked.

In Japan, it is illegal to keep knives and blades in the car for self-defense reasons. Even if you are carrying the knife for cooking purposes, it is illegal to keep it inside the car all times. But, if you have valid reasons (occupational needs) or legal legitimacy (taking home a knife you just purchased), you can carry a knife in the car. But when packing the knife in the car, you need to have it secured and take safety precautions based on your reasons and purposes.

If you are carrying a knife for occupational reasons and using them temporarily for outdoor activities, it is considered valid, and is not restricted by law. It is also valid to have a knife you just purchased to take it home. But, whatever reasons you have, you must secure safety, and the knife must be packaged adequately to carry around a knife.

The Saya is an useful accessory that lets you carry around the knife easily, and prevent the blade from damaging by hitting other objects. As such, you can safely carry around the knife. However, it is not recommended to store the knife with the blade coved with Saya all the time, since moisture tend to stay inside the Saya, resulting to rust to occur on the blade. Therefore, be sure to dry off the knife before storing, and limit the use of the Saya for only when carrying around the knife, to lengthen the knife’s longevity.

A Saya is a protection cover for the blade of the knife, and is generally made with wooden or plastic materials. The Saya protects the blade of the knife, and prevents damages to the knife from hitting other objects and people. The Saya is especially useful when you need to carry around the knife, but if there are moisture, it may cause rust to the knife. It is best to avoid keeping the knife in the Saya for long periods of time.

To safely pack a knife to transport the knife, please follow the instructions below. First, you cover the blade with newspaper. By doing so, you can prevent the blade from hitting and cutting things, and you can avoid being hurt from it. Next, you wrap the whole knife with 3 or 4 newspapers. With this, the knife will we safely protected, and you can reduce damages and impacts that might occur when being shipped. By following these steps, you will be able to safely send the knife.

If you are using a towel to wrap the knife, be sure to first cover the blade with newspaper or smaller cloths to protect it. This is so you can avoid the danger of the blade being exposed. You can cover and wrap the whole knife with the towels afterwards to safely secure the knife. Finally, secure the wrapped knife with rubber bands or string, so you can safely carry or store the knife.

When moving, it is important to safely pack the knife, and to clearly indicate that a knife is in the package. When packing, cover the blade with the newspaper, and then wrap the entire knife using 3 or 4 newspapers, and tape it up to secure it. By doing so, you can avoid the risk of the blade being exposed during shipping, and damages to the knife and items around it. Also, make sure that the box with the knife inside clearly stand out, and let whoever is handling the box to be cautious. By taking all the precautions, you can avoid accidents, and be able to ship the knife safely.

The light-handed knives have the cutting edge on the right side, and Urasaki, a dent that makes ingredients stick less to the knife, is on the left side of the blade. This structure makes the food to be easily separated from the knife. Meanwhile, an left-handed knife has these characteristics on the opposite sides; the left side has the cutting edge, and Urasaki on the right.

There are left and right-handed knives for single-edged knives. This is because the direction of the blade is opposite depending on the witch hand you hold the knife. Generally, single-edged knife is mainly right-handed, so left-handed people needs to purchase a left-handed single-edged knife at specific knife shops that sells them. Not so many left-handed knives are made, and since craftsmen are used to forge right-handed knives, it requires a special techniques to forge a left-handed knife.

When sharpening a right-handed knife, you should put emphasis on the front side (the side with the cutting edge) of the knife. This side is important part that directly impacts the sharpness of the blade, so if it is not sharpened correctly, you might not be able to use the knife at its full potential. During the sharpening process, put more force when pushing against the whetstone, and let your energy go when you pull the knife towards you, like you are sliding the knife on the whetstone. On the other hand, when you are sharpening the backside (the side without the cutting edge), you just need to lightly sharpen the knife. By following this method, you will be able to use a knife with optimized cutting edges for the right-handed knife to match your dominant hand. For the left-handed knife, you need to sharpen the knife with opposite procedures.

HIKI-KIRI is a technique to cut by pulling the knife towards you to diagonally, so you can improve cutting edge with uniform force put in when cutting. By doing this, you can clearly cut foods that re soft and delicate. When preparing a Japanese dish, this technique to let you slice sashimi thinly and garnishing vegetables is necessary to provide delicate and beautiful cuisines.

GARASUKI and HONESUKI knives are both used to cut off bones from the meat. GARASUKI is bigger in size, and is suited to cut bigger ingredients. On the contrary, HONESUKI is shorter and smaller, so it is suited for more minute tasks, and when you need to maneuverability. The round shaped HONESUKI is especially helpful, since you can hold in reverse grip without hurting yourself, and is easy to force when cutting.

For single-edged knives, the right-handed knives have the cutting edge on the right side, so when you are using the knife on the right, you can cut naturally in an angle. Meanwhile, the cutting edge on the left-handed knives are on the left side of the knife, so you can cut smoothly using your left hand.

Holding a left-handed knife is not so different from when you hold a knife with your right-hand, but you use your left hand instead of the right. When holding the knife, hold the bottom side of the blade with your thumb and pointing finger, and firmly grip with rest of your hand. When cutting. Be sure to secure the food with your right hand, and be careful so you won’t have your hand to close to the knife when cutting. By holding like this, left-handed knives can be used with your left hand to cut the ingredients at the adequate angle. It it’s important to firmly hold the knife, and be mindful of safety at all time.

A kids knife is a knife with tip round and curved for safety reasons, so you won’t hurt yourself with the pointy tip. It is made so kids 2nor 3 year-old can use to cut the knife with their parents, and would be a good practice for them. The kids knife sold at JIKKO is made so that kids can use it to cut ingredients. Make sure that adults can teach the child to hold the knife correctly, and learn where to place the knife, so they can learn how to use the knife safely. The kids knife is sized so that they can cut smaller sized food; adults can use the knife handy as well!

It is possible to take the knife on the plane for those who purchased the knives, and people who are carrying the knives for occupational reasons. But, if you are taking the knife on the plane, you CANNOT take it with you inside the hand carried luggage. Be sure to put the knife in the checked-in luggage; if you have the knife in the box that you have purchased, or the knife is in a knife case, you should be able to put it in your suit case and hand it over as a checked-in luggage. But if you are carrying all your luggage with you on the plane, you won’t be able to take it home on the plane, and need to consider shipping the knife in some way.

A knife case/bag is a necessary item for a chef that needs to carry around the knives safely. If you need to carry around multiple knives, we recommend you carrying your knives in a knife travel bag or attache case type knife holder.
If you are carrying just few knives, you can choose a compact zipper type knife case that you can store inside your regular bag to smoothly carry around the knife. These compact knife cases also are useful to carry around your knives for outdoor activities.